Tug-adjuster



J. F. GLOVEH.

TUG ADJUSTER. APPLICATMN FILED JULY i2 1920.

1,369,650. Eaten Feb. 22, 1%22.

UNlTEgl) TTES JOHN FRANKLIN Gnovnn, or TROY, TENNESSEE.

TUG-ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patent d F b 22, 1921 Application filed July 12, 1920. Serial No. 395,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANKLIN GLovnR, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Troy, inthe county of Obionan'd State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Tug-Adjusters; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates toi nprovements in tugadjustersiandhas for an object to provide an improved device associated with the hame ofa horse collar for adjusta y nc t' ng th raccs't e o c s modate the traces toditferent animals, and to shift theline of draftto meet varying csnditi s- Another object of the inventionis to provide an improved tug adjuster whichwill admitof making the required changes in a minimum of time and with but a small de ree of effort.

it further object of the invention resides in providinga simple and inexpensive adjustment for hamefs-which maybe applied to standardforms of hameswithout altering the constructionthereof, and which will form a durable andefiicient device permitting of the adjustment of the traces while looking the same inposition, so that it may not accidentally become loose.

The invention will be mor'efully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhic h like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and i which: i

Figural a plan view of a hame having an improved tugfladjuster applied thereto which is constructed according tomy invent n Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, with parts shown ,in section, 'of the improved .tugadjuster illustrated as inan initial position.

.Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in the finalposition; and

.Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. I v

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designatesone of the hames which is usually constructed of wood, and is secured to the horse collar in a manner which is well known in this art.

' According to the invention I provide a plate 2 preferably of nietal although the same may be of other appropriate material,

it being secured bysuitable fastenin'gs,as for instance the rivets v3, to the hamfe 1 .at .a proper intermediate point thereon. The part 1s provided with a' number ofspaced apart studs 4, shown in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings to be six in number, although more or' less of these studs maybe used to meet various conditions and i q urementsu Theistuds 4 are preferably rectangular in cross section, and have headseIalso of a Sub ant a ly si il Q though 'c g than the bodies of the studs so that the heads may project beyond the edges thereof. The trace hook 6 is furnished with, a shank 7 havinga slot nearvit's rear end embodying a relatively largerectangular-portion 8 communlcating with a smaller rectangular portion 9, communicating therewith at its rear edge. The twopo'rtions'fl and 9 of theslot form substantially a keyhole in which to receive the head and shank of the" stud to which it is applied. F or instance, as shown in Fig. 2, the larger portion 8 is initially fitted .over the head 5 of oneof the studs, andthedevice is thereafter moved longitudinally, as indicated in Fig. 3, to a final position where the portion 9 of the slot engages closely about the shank 7 of the stud. The portion 9 of the slot is made to agree substantially with the dimensions of the shankof each stud 4, so that when'in the final position shown in Fig. 3 the headfl5 of the studwill prevent the shank 7 of the trace hook from being lifted off the stud to'which it may have been applied; This shank 7 of the stud is also provided with lateral grooves 10 and 11' in order to receive the adjacent side edges of thetwo heads 5.

against the stud posts 4' also strengthen the device and the hook.

Mounted upon the shank? is an auxiliary hook 14, which is carried by a shank 15, pivot d. an h shank .7 a. h Po n 15 M prevent possible canting of about the pivot point 16. The rear edge of a the shank 15 is rounded, as indicated at 17, on the arc of a circle struck from the central pivot 16 so as to ease the passage of the shank 15 beneath the overhanging head 5 of the stud.

To facilitate the operation, the forward edges of the heads 5, and also, if desirable, the front faces of the studs, may be rounded as indicated at 18 to correspond substantially to the curvature 17 of the rear edge of the shank 15. The shank moves at its rear edge beneath the forward overhanging edge of the head 5 and acts to lock the shank 7 in place thereon. The engagement of the traces in the hooks 6 and 14 is probably all that will be required to prevent. the possible disengagement of the shank 15 from the head 5 of the stud; but in some instances it may be necessary or desirable to employ some such spring catch as is indicated. This catch embodies a reciprocating pin 19 mounted in guides 20, carried by the shank 15. At its forward end the pin 19 is turned upwardly to provide a handle 21 by which the same may be drawn forwardly. A coil spring 22 is wound about the pin 19 between the guides 20, and is secured at one end to said pin so that it'may act normally to cause the pin to be projected rearwardly and into a catch 28 provided in the heads .5 of the studs to receive the same.

In operation the shank 7 is first applied by fitting the enlarged portion 8 of the slot over one of the heads 5 of a stud, and thereafter the shank is drawn forwardly to cause the rear portion 9 of this slot to engage the stud. The hook 14 together with its shank 15 is then rotated about the pivoted point 16, causing the rear curved edge to enter beneath the head 5. The arrangement may be such that the locking pin will automatically seat within the notch 23. The traces are connected to the hooks 6 and 14 and the device is in readiness for operation.

Should at any time it become necessary to change the adjustment first made, it will prove but a simple operation to disengage the traces from the hooks 6 to 14, and, if employed, the spring latch 19 from the notch 23,. after which a hook 14 and shank 15 may be rotated away from the head 5, the innermost shank 7 being then moved rearwardly to bring the larger portion 8 of the slot in register with the head 5, at which time the shank 7 may be lifted 0d the stud. A new stud is then selected to meet the requirements of the particular animal of the draft, and a larger portion 8 of the slot is placed upon this newly selected stud, and the processes-as previously described are repeated in order to secure the parts ina position of final adjustment. I

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent of the United States is 2- Y 1. An improved tug adjuster comprising in combination with a hame, a plate adapted to be secured to the hame and having a series of spaced apart and headed studs thereon, a trace hook having a shank provided with a slot near its rear end composed of an enlarged portion adapted to fit over the heads of the studs, and a smaller portion communicating with the larger portion and adapted to embrace the body portions of the studs, an auxiliary hook adapted to register withv the first-mentioned .hook whereby both hooks may receive traces, said auxiliary hook having a shank pivoted on said first-mentioned shank, the rear end of the auxiliary hook shank adapted to swing beneath the head of the stud occupied by said slot when the auxiliary hook is swung into registry with the trace hook, and yieldable interlocking means arranged between said stud and the shank of the auxiliary. hook for preventing the, latter from swinging, substantially as described.

2. An improved tug adjuster comprising in combination with a hame, a plate adapted to be secured to the hame and having a series of spaced apart and headed studs thereon, a trace hook having a shank provided with a slot near its rear end for interlocking with said studs, an auxiliary hook adapted to register with the trace hook whereby both hooks may simultaneously receive the traces, said auxiliary hook having a shank pivoted to the shank of the trace hook, the rear end of said auxiliary shank adapted to swing beneath the head of the stud occupying said slot, said studs having notches therein, and a spring-pressed plunger carried by the auxiliary hook shank for engaging the notches in said studs, substantially as described. I

3. An improved tug adjuster comprisin in combination with a hame a plate adapted to be secured to the hameand having a series of spaced apart and headed studs therei enlarged portion adapted to fit'over the heads of the studs, and a smaller portion I communicating W1th the larger portion and rear end of said shank and adapted to'engage against adjacent studs, an auxiliary I 10 hook having a shank pivoted on said'first mentioned shank, such shank having a rear 7 curved edge, the forward edges of the studs bein curved to correspond tosuch curved edge, such curved edge adapted to engage beneath the heads of the studs, and locking means on the last mentioned shankadapted to cooperate with the selected stud, substan tially as described. I I

I JOH-NFRANKLIN-GLOVER. 

